We Choose Joy
by Celebrisilweth
Summary: The night before the big battle Kili and Bofur sit around laughing. How can they be happy under these circumstances? A short one shot, movie verse. Kili, Bofur, Bilbo, Fili.


**A/N:** Just a short one-shot about Kili's and Bofur's ability to laugh despite circumstances. Set in Erebor the night before the Battle. Movie verse. Hope you enjoy and Merry Christmas.

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We Choose Joy

The light from torches flickered around the broken insides of Erebor casting eerie shadows among the rubble. Thorin, lost in the depths of the dragon-sickness, trod across mounds of gold eagerly searching for the Arkenstone. Balin and Dwalin sat huddled in a corner talking quietly of their failed efforts to bring Thorin out of his madness. Dwalin's shoulders still slumped after Throin's threat to kill him.

In another area the Ri brothers were engaged in animated discussion while Ori drew in his journal, fearing he was recording the final night of the Company, as they waited for dawn to bring the promised assault by the arrayed host of Men and Elves against thirteen dwarrow holed in the mountain.

Gloin sat on a piece of fallen stone, sharpening his axe; periodically he stopped to stare at the contents of the locket holding the portraits of his wife and son. as if trying to sear their likenesses into his mind. Nearby his brother Oin surveyed the meager contents of his healer's kit. Grimly he shook his head in the knowledge that what few supplies he had would be of no use on the morrow. There was absolutely no hope of surviving Thorin's lunacy; either they would fall in battle or, if nothing else, they would starve here in the ruined city that had once been the pride of the dwarven world.

The remainder of the Company sat in a haphazard circle. Bifur whittled at a piece of wood. None knew where he had found it, or if he had brought it with him from Laketown. No matter, the toymaker mumbled to himself in Khuzdul as he carefully sculpted away oblivious to the fact that tomorrow no one would care about his creations. Beside his brother, Bombur rubbed his massive, but shrinking, girth as he relished the last of his ration, nibbling as slowly as possible to prolong his favorite pastime.

Of the whole solemn gathering, only Bofur and Kili seemed to be able to rise above the pervading air of doom in the hall, even Fili sat quietly, solemnly listening as the two bantered back and forth recounting things from the journey. They laughed about the hobbit's dislike of pony riding and Bofur's donation of a piece of tunic for a pocket handkerchief. They spoke of Bilbo's expression when Fili and Kili had informed him about orc raids at night, until Thorin had ruined what they considered a quite acceptable joke. THen even Fili managed a laugh when Bofur mentioned his brother's confusion over Elven sexes in Rivendell.

"Oh, aye, in Rivendell," Bofur could barely speak for laughing. "Remember, Bombur...when I threw that sausage...an' tha table broke under him". The ex-miner could barely contain himself as he wiped tears from his eyes.

Kili threw his head back and roared with laughter at the mental picture. That had been so perfect. Not only had Bombur's collapse been entertaining, but they had also gained more wood for the fire. Caught up in remembering, Kili shook his head and slapped his thigh.

Suddenly Kili's mirth turned to a gasp of pain as his wounded thigh protested the rough treatment.

"Kili?" Fili gripped his brother's shoulder in concern. The raven-haired prince shook his head in dismissal as he continued, now torn between laughing and crying.

" 's alright. I just forgot," he explained, trying to relieve Fili's concern.

Bilbo had been sitting by himself quietly surveying the various groups spread out in the hall. After taking in the somber attitude pervading among the dwarves, he was intrigued by the levity of Bofur and Kili. He rose and approached the group.

"Er, pardon me, but," Bilbo began hesitantly. "I would like to ask,...if I may, ...how is it that you two can still be cracking jokes and laughing when everything around you is falling apart?...Um... I mean, here you are barricaded in a..a...broken mountain, facing the threat of a war you cannot hope to win. You just escaped the wrath of the dragon while Laketown burned." He fixed his gaze on Kili, "And you haven't even fully recovered from a poisoned arrow wound."

Bofur and Kili both looked up at the hobbit standing before them rocking back and forth on his feet. His earnest expression nearly provoked another outburst but they managed to get by with just grins.

"Well, it's a choice, ya see," Bofur began eagerly. "We could sit around being solemn 'n' glum, whinin' about what's happened. But what good would that do?"

"Yeah," Kili nodded, dark eyes sparkling. "As a rule dwarrow are serious enough. You've seen how stoic and glum Uncle can be. But you've also seen him smile. Isn't that so much better?"

"Yer right, Bilbo," Bofur smiled nodding his head. "We got plenty o' reasons ta be sad, unhappy. I got a cousin wit' an axe in his head. Had to quit tha mines ta care fer 'im." Bofur looked fondly at Bifur who continued to carve, totally unaware he was the subject of conversation. "He took care o' me 'n' Bom when we were little. So now we care fer Bif. I could be bitter, but why? Won't change nothin'; so's might as well be happy 'bout it. Besides he's kinda fun, what wit' his Khuzdul 'n' nonsense." Bofur grinned.

"It's not just who we are; we weren't necessarily born happy. It's a decision we make, every day" Kili took up the explanation next. "My father died the day I was born. That means every time we celebrate my naming day, Mum remembers losing her One. We grew up as exiles in Ered Luin instead of princes in Erebor; but life is so much more than just the bad times and problems. It's feeling the wind in your hair, climbing trees, exploring the world with your brother". Turning to Fili he gave his brother a slight push on his arm. "When you have those kind of things, why would you concentrate on the bad? You have to celebrate life." Kili's face beamed.

Fili reached out to ruffle his brother's hair. "But Kili hasn't always been this way," Fili smiled launching into his own story. "I remember a little Kili who was so upset because someone teased him about his looks."

"Fee!" Kili protested.

The blonde cuffed his brother lightly on the shoulder. "Hush, it's my turn." FThe blonde returned to his story, Kili was crying so I dragged him into Bofur's toyshop hoping to distract him; but it didn't work. I found a dragon toy and tried to play Smaug the Dragon with him since Uncle didn't like for us to play that at home. Only the dragon scared Kili and he tried to hide under one of the toy displays, wailing in fear."

Kili sat with eyes closed shaking his head as if that could stop his brother's animated recitation.

"But then he found a little carved raven. Mum called him her Little Raven because of his hair, so he thought it should be his. He grabbed it off of the shelf and played with it. Luckily, he calmed down with the raven. But when I tried to take it from him so we could go home, he pitched a fit."

Kili gaped at his brother, "Did not!"

"Yes, you did," Fili replied calmly. "Then Bofur came up and told him that it was a happy raven and it needed a special home with someone who's happy and not crying. He said it was for sale... for a smile; but not just any smile. It had to be a big grin. So Kili smiled that big, wide, silly grin of his, and Bofur gave him the carving."

Bofur smiled and nodded, obviously remembering the scene himself.

"You know," Fili continued smiling, "I haven't thought about that raven in decades."

Silently Kili reacheed into his pocket and pulled out a very worn carving, barely recognizable as a raven now. Smiling he held it in his upturned palm.

"Bless my beard," Bofur whispers. "Ya've kept it all these years."

"Aye," Kili responds quietly. "To remind me to be happy and to keep things in perspective. Even if it did take me years to figure it out, I finally understood that joy is only one option. and you have to make that conscious decision for yourself each day."

Bofur placed his hands on his knees, "So ya see, Bilbo, that's why we kin laugh and joke despite tha circumstances. It's a decision; It's because we choose joy."

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**A/N: **Hope you enjoyed this little bit of fluff, 'cause we can always use some fluff after BoFA. Reviews welcomed and appreciated.


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